Adventurous hot air balloon and fairy tale castle weddings are becoming increasingly popular in China as the new generation of newlyweds crave lavish ways to begin their marriages.

"The new generation of newlyweds, born in the late 1970s and early 1980s, have more fancy dreams for weddings than the older generations," said Shi Kangning, head of the wedding ceremony union of the China Association of Social Workers.

The Chinese national capital will see 130,000 couples married this year, as against 100,000 couples last year, according to the union's forecast.

To get married in the Year of the Dog is considered auspicious for weddings in China, since this year's lunar calendar has 13 months, with an intercalary month between the seventh and eighth month, as well as two "lichun" or the beginning of the spring -- the auspicious day marking the beginning of spring - in one year.

Newlyweds in Beijing are likely to spend at least three billion yuan (about US$370 million) on wedding ceremonies alone this year, not including fun items such as honeymoons and wedding photos.

A national survey of 60,000 new couples by the union found that 88.63 percent of new couples plan to take wedding photos; 46.63 percent of the respondents choose to employ professional wedding planners; 78.74 percent hold wedding banquets in restaurants; 66.75 percent book honeymoon tours.

According to Shi, a wedding in Beijing usually costs anywhere from 30,000 yuan to 50,000 yuan (US$3,700-US$6,165). The union's sources said that some prestigious hotels and ace restaurants are fully booked for wedding banquets this year.

(Xinhua News Agency March 8, 2006)